The P-D’s Jake Wagman thinks it surprising that Kit Bond would go for the auto bailout. Wagman notes that Bond’s website states that “government doesn’t create jobs, businesses do.”
Well, that may be true that Bond makes that claim on his website, but Bond does love him some pork. Look at Bond’s earmarks for FY2008 Appropriations. He certainly doesn’t mind spending government money to stimulate job growth; it’s partly why he has such a high approval rating when Republicans overall are in such disfavor. And he voted for the $700 billion financial bailout – why would he have qualms about loaning a great deal less to auto companies when thousands of jobs are on the line in Missouri?
Another presidential debate, another bizarre comment from political reporter Kevin McDermott on the P-D’s Political Fix. Last debate he totally got the public reaction wrong. This time, he imagines that the big negative visual from the debate, much like Bush 41 checking his watch or Gore sighing, will be Obama’s grin when he doesn’t like an answer from McCain.
A Political Fix posting about Byron DeLear’s new TV ad reminded me that Post-Dispatch writers and Show Me Progress writers live in parallel, but alternate, realities.
Jake Wagman seemed bemused at Byron’s tilting at windmills.
One of [the five Democratic nominees foolish enough to challenge Akin] – Byron DeLear – even has a commercial out.
(Who? Yes, I had to look him up, too.)
Wagman is familiar with names from past elections:
As a Democrat, he’ll face some sturdy opposition in Tuesday’s primary. Opponents include David L. Pentland, who was a St. Louis alderman, and former city School Board member Bill Haas, whose serial attempts for higher office have gained him, if nothing else, name recognition.
But Wagman is–I would say–unfamiliar with the present. DeLear has been off his radar screen and Mike Garman still is.
Now, in my alternate reality, DeLear and Garman dominate the primary race in the Second Congressional District. Between them, they’ve scooped up endorsements from just about every local Democratic group and Garman even scored an AFL-CIO endorsement–an honor that group virtually never grants before the primary election.
Pentland is a nice fellow, I’m sure, as is Bill Haas, but I don’t see either one of them working his patootie off out in West St. Louis County as DeLear and Garman have been. But what do I know? It’s been less than a year (Aug. 5, 2007–our first birthday is coming up!) since I started blogging on state news. I’m a newbie.
Perhaps on August 6th of this year, I’ll be bowing to Wagman’s superior knowledge of Democratic politics in the Second Congressional District. I’m sure he has a depth of knowledge on many topics that I couldn’t approach.
On the other hand, August 5th is primary day. And perhaps, on that evening, I’ll be toasting the victory of DeLear or Garman in the primary and savoring our first birthday with the (OK, minor) coup of having known who the real contenders in the Second were.
